Permanent LGBTI museum on the agenda

SYDNEY Council could soon approve a new museum in tribute to the LGBTI community, if a motion proposed by Cr Christine Forster passes council early next week.

In a statement sent to the Star Observer, Forster stated that such a facility in the Oxford St precinct would have a lasting influence on the cultural and academic wellbeing of the LGBTI community and its allies across Australia, throughout the entire year.

“The pop-up museum that operated during the 2013 Mardi Gras was a massive success,” she said.

“Council has the resources to establish and maintain a permanent GLBTI exhibition space and we should aim to have it in place in time for next year’s Mardi Gras.”

Last month, council approved a motion to have a rainbow flag flying over Taylor Square, to be in place before permanent artwork to commemorate the LGBTI community is installed by the 40th anniversary of Mardi Gras in 2018.

According to documents, Forster’s proposal will be discussed and voted by councillors on Monday night, with the council meeting being open to the public at Sydney Town Hall from 5pm onwards.

About the AuthorKate Doak

Kate Doak is a freelance radio journalist and producer from Sydney's inner west and formerly the New England region of NSW. Focusing heavily on news and current affairs, Kate has been known to branch out and write about everything from cycling to cricket, music, the media and agriculture from time to time. Kate also produces radio documentaries for “All The Best” at FBi Radio.
Kate tweets @katedoak

1 Comment

As
many readers who visited the Mardi Gras Museum exhibition may know,
that project was curated by and almost entirely sourced from the https://www.facebook.com/pages/Australian-Lesbian-and-Gay-Archives/133268633374980. The Archives, which were established in 1978, are a community-based organisation
that has since its establishment collected and preserved over 100,000
items relating to Australia’s LGBT history. The Archives continues to
present exhibitions, conferences/symposiums, publications and more
across Australia, including our 14th Australia’s Homosexual Histories
Conference in Sydney in November, as well as an association photographic
exhibition on the ‘first wave’ of gay liberation in Australia
(1971-1973). For more information on the Archives, and our active
ongoing work, collecting, preserving and educating about Australian LGBT
history, visit: http://alga.org.au./